The total number of local candidates for office rose by a collective total of one over the past week, with one candidate withdrawing from the race, making for a total of 35 candidates seeking office in Clinton County alone.

According to County Clerk Shelia Booher, Barry Latham withdrew his candidacy as a Republican for Clinton County Jailer. There are now four candidates, all Republicans, still in the running for the seat currently being held by long-time jailer Gene Ferrill, who has apparently decided not to seek re-election in 2014.

Two new candidates, both Republicans, did file over the past week, including Andy Butler as a candidate for constable in District One and Johnny W. Shelton for Magistrate in District Four.

Of the total 35 local candidates, 32 are GOP and only three Democrat candidates, all seeking the office of Clinton County Judge/Executive.

The total ballot as a whole locally has already over 40 official candidates, counting those seeking state, federal and judicial seats. However, several incumbent office holders in all three of those type races have yet to file for re-election.

Two Republicans have filed for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, those being Matt Bevin of Louisville and Gurley R. Martin of Owensboro. As of this past weekend, McConnell had not officially filed for re-election, nor were there any Democrats listed as seeking the nomination, although the current Secretary of State, Allison Lundergan-Grimes announced for the office several months ago.

In the race for First District U.S. House of Representative (Congress), incumbent Republican Ed Whitfield of Hopkinsville was the only candidate to have filed going into this week.

No candidates had officially filed for 16th District State Senate, where Sara Beth Gregory, a Republican from Monticello, is the incumbent, nor for the 83rd District House of Representatives, where Jamestown incumbent and House Minority Leader Jeff Hoover is the Republican incumbent.

Albany resident Scarlett B. Latham has filed for re-election as District Judge in the 40th Circuit, Division One while no candidate has filed in Division Two, where Albany resident James M. “Mike” Lawson is the incumbent.

40th Judicial Circuit Judge David L. Williams of Burkesville has filed for re-election in that race and one candidate had officially filed for one of two seats on the Court of Appeals that serves Clinton County, that being current Justice James H. Lambert.

Judges run on a non-partisan basis.

With the filings that have taken place in the Secretary of States’ office, the total number of candidates now on the ballot in Clinton County stands at 41 going into the final weeks of filing before the January 28, 2014 deadline.